Third-rail electric-railway system.



No. 729,120. PATENTED MAY 26, 1903.

, G. BERTRAM.

THIRD RAIL, ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28, 1903.

no MODEL.

f if E @Z jg d Z6! I O t::

1.3 6 GD Y Z 64 e w/r/vsss 6f INVENTOH J 2 Gwfm/Barlmm i I ATTORNEYS ilNrrED STATES Patented May 2 6, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

THIRD RAIL ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersiPatent No. 729,120, dated May 26, 1903. Application filed February 28, 1908. Serial No. 145,498. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that LGUsrAv BERTRAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State-of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Third-Rail Electric-Railway Systems, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide an improvement in third-rail electric-railway systems whereby the third-rail,which carries the electric current, is inclosed and protected from sleet, snow, rust, and other substances and so as to avoid coming in contact there with, a further object being to provide improved means for making electrical connection with said rail; and with these and other objects in View the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a cross-section of a third-rail electric-railway system embodying my invention and showing the truckof a car, the truck being shown on a much-reduced scale; Fig. 2, a side view thereof; Fig. 3, a side view of the contact device which I employ, and Fig. 4 an end view thereof and showing the means for connecting the contact device with the truck of the car. 7.

In the drawings forming part ofthis specification I have shown at a, the main rails of a railway-track, and at b the third or electric rail,which is inclosed in a casing c,'which eX tends the full length of the track and which comprises a bottom member or support 0 a back member 0 and a top 0 and in the form of construction shown the casing c, which incloses the third or electric rail, is also provided with a front 0 in which is formed a longitudinal slot or opening 0. The third or electric rail is L-shaped in cross-section, and one member thereof is secured to the back 0 of the casing by means of bolts or screws 11 and the back of the casing is also and prevents contact therewith.

provided with insulating material 17 which covers the outer ends of said bolts or screws 1 have also shown at d a car-truck, which is on a muchreduced'scale, and secured to this truck in the usual or any desired manner is a contactarm (2, which passes through the slot or opening 0 and the inner end of which is provided with a plate 6 to the bottom of which is secured insulating material e to the bottom of which is secured a wheel 6*, which carries an antifriction-roller eiwhich is adapted to bear on arail f, secured in the bottom of the easmg a.

To the top of the plate 6 is secured an upright member g, to which is pivoted at g a trolley-arm g preferably composed of separate side members g the lower ends of which project below the pivotal support at 9 and passing transversely through the bottom portion of the upright member g is a shaft h, on the opposite ends of which are loosely mounted collars 71 between which and the upright member g are placed spiral springs h and said collars h are connected with the downwardly-directed members 9 of .the trolleyarm 9 by links, wires, or similar devices M, and the said links, wires, or similar devices it serve to hold the trolley-arm g in an upright position, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4,while at the sametime permitting it to swing backwardly and forwardly.

In the upper end of the trolley-arm g is mounted a trolley-wheel or similar device '11, and said trolley-wheeler similar device is adapted to bear on the under surface of the contact portion of the third rail b,and in Fig. 1 of the drawingsthe trolley-wheel i is shown in operation and the trolley-arm is bent or inclined backwardly, this being the position it assumes when in operation.

It will be understood that the contact-arm e, which is connected with the truck (1 and which carries the trolley-arm 9 may be of any desired form and may be connected with the truck in any preferred manner, and my invention is not limited to the form thereof nor to any particular means for connecting the same with the truck, all that is necessary in this connection being to provide an arm which may be secured to the truck and which will pass through the slot or opening 0 and third or electric rail is placed, is not absolutely essential, nor is the form of the third rail herein shown and described, and any suitable form of rail may be employed.

By means of this construction it will be seen that the third or electric rail is so protected that contact therewith by persons in proximity thereto cannot be made, and fatal accidents are thus avoided, and it will also be seen that sleet, snow, or other substances which would prevent electrical connection therewith by the trolley-wheel z' cannot collect thereon or be deposited thereon. It will also be apparent that by reason of the fact that the trolley-arm is free to swing in a vertical plane and the further fact that the springs 71 operate to normally hold it in an upright position a proper connection with the rail b will always be made regardless of the position of the car or truck and of the movement thereof.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a third-rail electric-railway system, a contact-arm adapted to be connected with the truck of a car, said arm being provided with an upright member, a trolley-arm pivoted to said member, a shaft mounted transversely in the bottom portion of said member, collars loosely mounted on said shaft and connected with the side portions of the trolley-arm below its pivotal support, springs placed on said shaft between said collars and the upright member, and a trolley-wheel mounted in the end of said trolley-arm, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a third-rail electric-railway system, a contact-arm adapted to be connected with the truck of a car, said arm being provided with an upright member, a trolley-arm pivoted to said member, a shaft mounted transversely in the bottom portion of said mem ber, collars loosely mounted on said shaft and connected with the side portions of the trolley-arm below its pivotal support, springs placed on said shaft between said collars and the upright member, and a trolley-wheel mounted in the end of said trolley-arm, said contact-arm being also provided on the bottom side thereof with a depending support and an antifriction-roller mounted therein, substantially as shown and described.

3. Ina third-rail electric-railway system, a contact-arm adapted to be connected with the truck of a car, a trolley-arm pivotally connected with said contact'arm, springs for holding said trolley-arm in an upright position, a trolley-wheel mounted in the upper end of said trolley-arm, and a depending member connected with said contact-arm and provided with an antifriction-roller, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as I my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 27th day of February, 1903.

' GUSTAV BERTRAM.

Witnesses:

F. A. STEWART,

O. E. MULREANY. 

